Calm, you’re calm. With effort, she steadied her racing heart and tried to quell other urges. In time, the lights came back on, but their scoreboard wouldn’t work, no matter what buttons Titus hit. I can fix it, but not with him standing here.
“Maybe you should ask for a paper one?” she suggested.
“Good idea.”
As soon as he walked off, she closed her eyes, focusing on the electronics she’d fried. Fortunately, this was her wheelhouse. The circuit was completely blown, but she used her magic to restore it, repairing all the damage she’d caused. Being a technomancer was convenient at times like this; it allowed her to mitigate unintentional harm before anyone got suspicious.
Damn. Why do mundanes screw with our powers like this?
By the time Titus got back, the scoreboard was online and functioning properly. Danica sat at the table with her hands folded like she’d had nothing to do with that. He eyed the scoreboard and sighed, setting down the paper copies.
“Just my luck,” he muttered. “Shall we get started?”
“You can go first.”
Since he’d given instruction at the start, she admired his form as he bowled. It was pure pleasure to drink him in, the arch of his arm, the way his body bent and dipped when he released. And I’m thinking of filthy stuff again. Truly, their sexual chemistry was off the charts; in English there wasn’t even a word for the intensity, though German likely had a polysyllabic choice that fit the bill. On a whim, she searched and came up with “leidenschaft”—uncommonly strong passion or fervor.
Yep, I knew it.
“What are you doing?” Suddenly, Titus stood at her shoulder, peering at her phone in curiosity.
“Looking up a word in German that encompasses how much I want you.”
He stared for a few seconds like he didn’t know how to respond. “You just…said that. Right here. In the middle of Star Lanes.”
She bit her lip. “Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t have.”
“The candor is fine. Fantastic even. The timing…” His look smoldered, lingering on Danica’s mouth, and she felt it like a kiss.
“They do say you shouldn’t ask if you’re not ready for the answer,” she teased.
After Darryl’s indifference, it felt so good to bask in Titus’s desire. His eyes practically ate her up as she slid out of the scorekeeping seat and sashayed toward the ball return unit. He’d chosen a purple eight-pound ball for her, and she had to admit it was easy to handle. She tried to emulate his fancy stance, but she didn’t quite nail it. He was still watching her with a heated, hungry stare when she only knocked down two pins, despite trying twice.
“Have you always wanted to be a baker?” she asked as he took his next shot.
He shook his head. “No, but my mom loved to bake, and I guess…it makes me feel close to her, even though she’s gone.”
That made her want to hug him…so she did. There was no reason not to. Danica wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. The move seemed to surprise him, but he didn’t pull away as she said, “I get that. I’ve always been closer to my grandmother. Oddly, she’s more into tech than my mom.” There were witch reasons for that, but Titus didn’t need to know as much.
“That’s interesting. Did your grandmother teach you how to fix things?” He returned the embrace, delaying his turn for long moments.
“Everything she knew,” Danica confirmed.
“You must have taken supplementary courses to keep up with current technology?”
She nodded, not wanting to pursue that avenue of discussion. “Do you think you’ll stay in St. Claire?”
“I can’t imagine myself ever leaving. This might sound strange, but my mom’s buried here. It would feel like abandonment if I moved, if I couldn’t stop by and leave flowers now and then. Is that…weird?” He seemed worried about her response, a little anxious about sharing that much so soon.
“Not at all. I haven’t lost anyone I was close to like that, but I suspect I’d feel the same way.”
“Plus, I have friends here. And while running a bakery wasn’t my lifelong dream, I do love it. It’s awesome seeing how happy people are, eating something delicious that I made.”
“I can vouch for your skill,” she said.
It took Titus ages to look away and finish his turn. He won their match by a huge margin while she barely got eighty, and she couldn’t have cared less. As they returned their shoes, she wondered if he would kiss her again when he dropped her off. Can I risk letting him?
Crap, Clem might be home. It would be supremely humiliating if her cousin turned on the porch light like a disapproving parent. Even worse if Clem came out to stare at them with arms folded. Honestly Danica didn’t know what bothered Clem more—the idea of Danica fooling around with a mundane or if she sensed the depth of Danica’s attraction and suspected Danica might be tempted to break their pact.
Whatever, I’ll worry about that later. The rest of the coven thinks I deserve some fun.
When they left the bowling alley, Titus touched his hand to her lower back, a faintly proprietary gesture. While the implications worried her, she also delighted in the fact that he felt possessive, even if she shouldn’t want that. I’m in so much trouble.
“Did you have fun?” he asked as he opened her door.
“It was wonderful.”
He flashed a boyish smile. “I’m glad you thought so too. I’ve had some terrible dates, but this one was—”
“Perfect?” she suggested.
If only it hadn’t been.
That would make it easier to cut him off, if their chemistry turned out to be mostly in her imagination. Sometimes, she admired someone’s physical attributes, and then five minutes of conversation cured that dazzlement. But no, Titus was sweet and passionate and delicious, exactly the sort of man who could—
No, not steal her heart. She couldn’t allow that.
“Yes. That. I don’t use that word lightly either.” His eyes glittered in the neon lights from the flashing bowling pin.
Danica didn’t say much as he drove her home. The station she’d selected before was playing a melancholy song. Most people connected their phones to their vehicles, but either Titus didn’t mind relinquishing musical control to the radio, or he was more interested in her company than in the tunes.
In short order, Titus pulled up outside her house. The lights were on, a sure sign that Clem was home. Danica turned to him with a faint smile. “Thanks for a lovely evening.”
“The pleasure was mine.” He started a slow lean.